Here's why:
* Phonetic alphabets vary. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is the most widely used, but there are others.
* Vowel sounds differ. Short vowel sounds can be slightly different depending on the language and dialect.
However, in the IPA, short vowels are typically represented by:
* Single vowel letters: Like "a" for the short "a" sound in "cat", "e" for the short "e" sound in "bed", etc.
* Diacritics: Sometimes, a diacritic mark is added to a vowel letter to indicate its short sound, but this is less common.
Example:
* In the IPA, the short "a" sound in "cat" is represented by [æ].
Important Note: The best way to understand the specific symbols for short vowels in a particular language or dialect is to consult a dedicated phonetic chart for that language.